Why isn’t the whole world developed? CAGE and Discover Economics launch a new video series for schools

2 March 2023 (this article has been updated)

The series explores the impacts of colonisation and imperial interventions on modern day Africa and India.

The CAGE Research Centre and Discover Economics are releasing a new video series for students aged 15–17 to explore why the economies of Africa and India are less developed than others.

Drawing on its world class expertise in economic history and its global academic network, CAGE has brought together internationally renowned experts – associates, friends and alumni of CAGE and the University of Warwick – to explore the long-term impacts of colonisation and imperial interventions on the economy and society of Africa and India.

The project is delivered in partnership with Discover Economics, a campaign co-founded by the Royal Economic Society, whose aim is to increase diversity among economics students at university and those studying as an apprenticeship.

The team hope that the videos will offer a new depth and variety to colonial history teaching in schools and will demonstrate to students the importance of economics for understanding history, and of economic history for understanding the modern economy.

Although primarily aimed at school students, the topics of the videos have a broad appeal. The series tackles some of the big issues debated today: the long-term impacts of slavery, the lingering effects of forced medical programmes, the difficulties of emerging from a colonial economy and the long-run consequences of conquest and invasion.

The videos will be released each Thursday over the next five weeks and will be made available below:

• Nathan Nunn Why is Africa so poor?

• James Robinson Why are some nations still paying the price of colonialism today?

• Stelios Michalopoulos Are Africa's colonial borders holding it back?

• Sara Lowes Is colonialism responsible for medical mistrust in Africa?

• Bishnupriya Gupta India falling behind and catching up

Leader of the project, CAGE Research Director and economic history expert Bishnupriya Gupta, said, ‘We’re delighted to be partnering with Discover Economics on this important project. Colonial history is not taught consistently across British schools, yet the long-term effects of colonialism are vitally important for understanding the economy and society today. We hope these videos will offer teachers inspiration on how to tackle the debate and generate interest amongst students.’

Co-chair of Discover Economics Arun Advani said, ‘At Discover Economics we want to encourage talented students from diverse backgrounds to study economics at university or as an apprenticeship. This project shows so well how economics is central to understanding how we got to where we are today, and how it can be used to tackle some of the most important issues in our society. It gives students of all backgrounds a clear message that the study of economics is relevant to them and their lives.’

Notes

The videos were made by Jacob Liebenberg, University of Warwick Economics Alumnus and winner of the CAGE Video Competition 2022.

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